Latest FarmVille Stories

The next time you berate yourself for wasting an evening playing Farmville on Facebook, think again. If you were playing with Mom, Dad or Aunt Carmen, you were actually helping to strengthen family bonds.

Reports circulated late Wednesday that Zynga founder Mark Pincus would step down from an operational role at the social game publisher as his successor, CEO Don Mattrick, called for a need for change at the company.

Zynga’s announcement that it would be abandoning plans to enter the online gambling business in the US had investors cashing in their chips, as shares of the Farmville developer fell 14 percent in Nasdaq trading on Friday.

Online social game maker Zynga Inc. announced on Monday that it is slashing 520 jobs, or about 18 percent of its workforce, and closing certain office locations as the beleaguered company seeks to cut costs.

A partnership that was arguably the most fruitful in social media history is coming to an end, as Facebook and Zynga have amended the agreement that led to the success of Farmville and other similar social games.